Overturning prevention for tractors



Aug. 5 1924.

A. ROD] OVERTURNING PREVENTION FOR TRACTORS,

Filed June Patented Aug. 5, 1924;

Nl-TED STATES .gTENT OFFICE.

ANTHONY ROZDI, OF HAMMONTON, NEW JERSEY.

OV-EBTURNING PREVENTION FOR TRAGTORS.

Application filed June 28, 1923. Serial No. 648,197.

v vention for Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

, automatically.

This invention relates to tractor attachments, and has particular reference to means for preventing the over-turning; of tractors It is well known that a commercial type of tractor now in use often overturns when pulling an extremely heavy load or when operating upon a steep incline, thereby caus- 111g serlous inj ury and even death to the operator. These accidents could be avoided if the driving connection from the engine to the rear wheels were immediately disconnected as soon as the tractor starts to overturn. 'It is accordingly an objectof the 7 present invention to provide an attachment for tractors whereby this driving connection Q is automatically disconnected to thereby i prevent overturning of the tractor.

1 An object of the invention is to provide a device of the above kind whichwill be efficient and reliablein operation 'andwhich embodies the desired qualities of simplicity and durability of construction 1 yprovide means adapted to be brought into engagement with the ground when the tractor starts to overturn so as to" be thereby actuated for depressing the clutch lever of 7 the tractor for disconnecting the engine from the drive wheels, thereby permitting" the tractor to immediately right itself. Still another object of the invention is toprovide means for automatically holding the clutch pedals depressed when'actuated i by the ground engaging member until said clutchlever is manually released after the.

tractor is righted.

With the above general .and others that will become apparent as stood, the same consists in the novel form,

combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more full described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

In the drawings, wherein like reference throughout the several views,

. Figure l is'a fragmentary view showing ob ects in view,

Figure 5 isan enlarged perspective view showing the mounting and Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a clamp section by means of which the clamp for attaching the device to the rear axle housing may be enlarged.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 indicates the rear end portion of a well known form of tractor having rear driving wheels 6 which are driven from an axle 7 provided with a housing 8, a clutch lever 9 being provided directly beneath the steering wheel 10, the depression of which is adapted to disconnect the engine of the tractor from the drive wheels.

In: accordance with the present invention, asplit clamp 11 is boltedeon to the axle bracket for the latch,

housing 8 with a bracket 12 fastened between H the upper ends thereof, which bracket is -A further object of the invention is "to I provided with a transverse pivot pin 13 upon whlch a ground engaging lever 14 15 mounted for vertlcal swinging movement.

.The ground engaging lever 14 is curved rearwardly and downwardly where its free rear end portion is formed as at 15 in the nature 1 of a flat plate of arcuate' form with an up turned extreme free rear end portion capable of sliding along the ground without digging into the same. The portion of the lever 14 rearwardly of its pivot 13 is considerably longer than the forward portion thereof so that the weight of the rear end of the lever 14 normally tends to tilt the same for engaging the flat ortion 15 with the ground.

.; In order to yiel ingly hold the rear end of i the nature of the invention is better "underthe lever 14 the'proper distance above the ground, but in close proximity thereto, a

spring 16 of the helical tension spring type is attached to the forward end of the lever and to a suitable bracket 17 carried by the forward section'of the split clamp 11.

The extreme forward end portion of the lever 14'is provided with a relatively large opening as'at 18in which thelaterally ex is provided-a depending inwardlyproject- 9 depressedas' soon as it isactuate'dmby the lever 14-. "This means preferably embodies a horizontal'forwardly projecting lreeper .5 e arm 19, attached tothe lower portion-of the clamp 11 by means of the lower. bolt thereof and havingits v free forward 'endfo'rmed with a slot,20, along one edge of which there ing retaining: tooth'21. f "A. U shap'ed bracl ret 22 is swiveled to the forward end of the lever 14 just in front of the spring 1j6, and this bracket has a transverse pin '23 upon which is hinged 8.1 suitable pivoted catch'24t whose lower end is provided with a series of notches 25 at its edge adjacent the retaining tooth 21. As the catch 24 lowers with the forwardend of the lever 14-, the notched portion of the catch will ratchet past the tooth 2lquntil fully depressed, said catch24 swinging inwardly to engage one of its notches with the tooth22l when -fully' depressed, and thereby retaining "the clutch pedal in depressed position. It will be understood that when the catch 24': swings'inunder the influence of gravity so thatits V automatic action is insured. The upper el'rd of the catch24 above the pivot pin is provided with an, inwardly extendingfo'ot piece 25 by means of which the. operator may disengage the catch from the tooth 21 to permit the clutch pedal 9 to again raise whenit-is "desired to continue the forward travel 'of' the tractor.

In some instances, it is desired to'ir'nount the lever 14- adjacent the differential housing of the tractor where the rear :aXle housing 8 is of larger diameter. In order to accommodate the clamp to this change in posiwith suitable openings to receive boltsfor connecting this'clampsect-ion between the two parts of "the clamp shown in Figurel.

' in this way the diameter of the clamp is s'u fficiently enlarged for the purpose mentioned. 'In operation, should the forv'var'd end of r the tractor start to raise, this; will be" pernicer n l time: end port-ion 'ji5-"ofitl1e death prevented.

a any supported intermediate itsead tractor and adapted tatesmen movemen entrees, "the lever h N -reaewardlyeatesais theater-seal.

lever 14 strikes-the ground-,- whereupon contl-nued raising movement of the forward end of the tractor will cause this lever to swing .soas to. cause depression of the clutch pedal 9. l/Vhen this takes place the catch 24: lowers through the 31013920111 the keeper 1 9 and then this catch swings inwardly to engage the tooth 21 in the'notch 25 aligned therewith. The clutch pedal is then effectively retained in depressed position until manually released by pressure-on thefoot'piece 25". As soon as the driving connecticnbetween the rear wheels and the engineris' brol'ten' through depression of the clutch pedal 9, the overturning tendency of the tractors nullified and in sufli'cient time to permitthe tractor to automatically right itself bylowering'oaf the front end thereof. n.i m-ee-ai1eei e gathat 1 when the tractor is i111 it ndmal pest tion," the spring .16 will aid in i'oldiiig; the

foot 15'of the rear endof the-le've eater ther holding theforward end of the lever-in pedal-9 whereby the'latter will discohnect the drive wheels of the tractor from the engine. Through the construction -described the operation of tractors of this kind is made perfectly safe andconsiderable injuries and It is believed that the iconstruc tion and operation of thepresentinvention'will be readily understood and appreciated fromthe "foregoing description. i be made without us- "parting from the spirit ahdscope'of the invention'as claimed.

iwardly to engage the tooth 21, itwill ther'eby move toward a true vertical position Minor changes may WhatIcla imas new is: i

'1'. In combination with matron-wherein the driving wheels are d-is'cenii e'ct'ed from the engine by a'de p're ssjible peda1,; a lever operatively engageclwith the-clutch pedal engagement with. the=ground;-the furand pivotall mounted for 'vertical movement, said lever being engageable with the ground upon starting of 'overt'i'ir-ning movement of the'trac't'or for causing its swinging movement to de'press said=e1utch ain-end means to a tomatically retain the clutch pedal depressed when mmatedby swinging of the lever, said means 'embodyi ng' a lat'erally swingable latch pivotedto the reward end of. the lever, andfyieldabl'e' means j for' "normally holding the lever positiehed' with its rear end slightly spaced above the "ground. it

e. In tomb-mates with a t faeter, ete-rein the driving wheels fare adapted {to disconnected from the engine by thejdepression;

of the cluteh pedal thereofa lever -pivet-f ing a. ground engaging means, the forward ing the the clutch pedal, the forward end of said lever adapted to depress the clutch pedal.

when the rear end of the lever engages the ground when the forward end of the tractor moves upwardly, yieldable means for normally holding the lever in an inoperative position, and means for retaining the forward end of the lever in engagement with the clutch pedal whereby the clutch pedal is automatically retained in its depressed position, said means comprising a latch bar pivotally carried by the forward end of said lever, the lower end of said latch bar having a plurality of teeth formed in one of the longitudinal sides thereof, a horizontally extending bar supported on the tractor and having an opening in the outer free end thereof for receiving the lower end of said latch, and a keeper co-operating with said opening and adapted to engage the-teeth on said latch. V

3. In combination with a tractor, wherein the driving wheels are adapted to be disconnected from the engine by the depression of the clutch pedal thereof, a lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends on the tractor and adapted for vertical swinging movement thereon, the lever having the rearwardly extending portion thereof forming a ground engaging means, the forward end of said lever being loosely engaged with the clutch pedal, the forward end of said lever adapted to depress the clutch pedal when the rear end of the lever engages the ground when the forward end of the tractor moves upwardly, yieldable means for normally holding the lever in an inoperative position, means for retaining the forward end of the lever in engagement with the clutch pedal whereby the clutch pedal is automatically retained in its depressed position, said means comprising a latch bar pivotally carried by the forward end of said lever, the lower end of said latch bar having a plurality of teeth formed in one of the longitudinal sides thereof, a horizontally extending bar supported on the tractor and having an opening in the outer free end thereof for receiving the lower end of said latch, a keeper co-operating with said opening and adapted to engage the teeth on said latch, and means associated with the upper end of said latch for releasing the same from engagement with said keeper whereby the clutch pedal will be returned to its normal position to connect the drive wheels with the engine.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANTHONY RODI. 

